Automatic mail-bag catcher.



J. B. MARANOWSKI.

AUTOMATIC MAIL BAG CATCHER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, I917- Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J. B. MARANOWSKI.

AUTOMATIC MAIL BAG CATCHER..

APPLICATION man AUG-3. 1917.

1 1 98 Patented Dec. 25, 1917 2 SHEETS-$HEET 2.

dfilwfaranawskz JosnPH B. MABANOWSKI, or HAMTRAMCK, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC MAIL-BAG caron'n t.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dgc, 2 5, 1917,-

Application filed August a, 1917. Serial No. 184,275.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPH B. MARANOW- SKI, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Hamtramck, in the county of Wayne and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticMail-Bag Catchers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to an automatic mail bag catcher and has for oneof its objects the provision of a device of this character whereby themail bags may be deposited at a given point and another received by atraveling car.

Another object of this invention is the provision of means forsupporting a mail sack adjacent a railroad track and having means toreceive amail bag from a passing car when the mail bag supported by saidmeans is removed by the car.

A further object of this invention is the provision of means upon thecar adapted to support a mail sack to be deposited at a given point andcapable of receiving a mail bag at a given point.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a novel mail .bagsupporting means slidably mounted upon the car and adapted to beautomatically moved exteriorly of the car at a given point so that a.mail bag may be collected and deposited.

A still further-object of this invention is the provision of anautomatic .mail bag catcher ofthe above stated character, which shall besimple, durable and efficient and which may be manufactured and-sold ata comparatively low cost.

lVit'h these and other objects in view, it will become more apparent asthe description proceeds the invention consists of such novel featuresof construction, combination and arrangement of parts-as will behereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, referenceisto be had tothe follow.- ing description and accompanying drawings, in which--Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an automatic mail bagcatcher constructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view partly in section of the meansfor supportin the mail tag to the car,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the mail bag supportingcrane located ad-' jacent the railroad track,

Fig. 4 is a front elevation partly in -section illustrating thecooperation of the mail crane with the mail bag supporting means uponthe car,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the device, and

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view take on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a portionof a car havinga track 2 secured to the roof thereof and which projectsoutwardly of the car by way of the door way 3. A supporting member a isprovided with flanges 5-tl1at ride upon the track 2 while the member 4slides therebetween. The track 2 is provided with friction rollers 6upon the upper face thereof and friction rollers 7 upon the inner facesthereof for engagement with the side faces of the supporting member 1. Aretaining plateS is secured to the roof of the car 1 and overlies thetrack 2 in spaced relation thereto so that the supporting member 4 mayslide freely within the car. The spring 8" is secured to the inner endof the supporting member 4 and is connected to the car 1 for the purposeof normally holding the supporting member within the car.

Doors 9 are secured to the end of the supporting member 4 and areadapted-to close the doorway 3 when the supporting member at moveswithin the car. An arm 10 is carried by the upper end of the doors 9 andis provided at its free end with a-roller 11 which roller 11 is adaptedto engage the track 12. The track 12 has secured to each end thereofhangers 13 that are supported by posts 1 1. The posts 1% arelocatedalong the railroad track so as to position the ends of the track12 adjacent the "rails so as to receive the roller 11 upon the arm 10.The track 12 consists of a pair of relatively spaced rails which havetheir free ends flared as illustrated at 15 to permit the roller 11 toenter between the rails. As the'roller 11 passes between the rails, theoutwardly curved portion draws the supporting memher 4 exteriorly of thecar.

Downwardly depending arms 16 are secured to the supporting member 4 andhave rearwardly extending hangers 17 formed thereon which are adapted tosupport a mail bag 18. The mail bag 18 is provided with an enlargedhanging element 19 which will readily fit over the hangers 17 and beretained thereon by spring clamps 20. Downwardly depending receivingarms 21 are secured to the supporting member 1 in close proximity to thearms 16 and have forwardly and upwardly extending portions asillustrated at 22 on which are formed forwardly extending portions 23that are adapted to receive a mail bag supported adjacent the railroadtrack and which will be hereinafter more fully described. The supportingmember 4 is also provided with rollers 24 for engagement with the track2 to permit the same to slide freely thereon.

A mail crane consisting of a post 25 is located adjacent the railroadtrack and opposite the oflset portion in the track 12 and has securedthereon a bag supporting member 26 which is adapted to extend parallelwith the railroad track. The member 26 is provided with upwardly ofisetarm portions 27 and 28, each of which are provided with stops 29. Themail bag 30 is supported by the arm 28 and is adapted to be removedtherefrom by the receiving arms 21 as the car 1 passes. As the mail bag30 is removed from the crane 25 another mail bag supported by thehangers 17 is deposited upon the arm portion 27. A laterally projectingarm 32 is carried by the post 25 for the purpose of limiting themovement of the mail bag received upon the arm portion 27 when beingdeposited thereon.

In operation, a mail bag is hung upon the crane 25 by the arm portion 28of the member 26 and as the car 1 approaches the mail crane, the roller11 engages the track 12, pulling the supporting member 4 exteriorly ofthe car. A mail bag to be deposited is placed upon the hangers 17 priorto reaching the crane and as the member 4 moves exteriorly of the carthe mail bag is swung outwardly of the car in line with the crane and isdeposited upon the arm portion 27. The mail-bag carried by the armportion 28 of the crane is received upon the receiving arms 21 beingcaught in the ollset portion 22. As

Copies of this patent may be obtained for be understood that minorchanges in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asclaimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. An automaticmailbag catcher comprising a track carried by a car, a supporting memberslidable upon said track, means for normally holding said supportingmember Within said car, mail bag supporting arms carried by saidsupportin member, mail bag receiving arms carried by said supportingmember, a crane, mail bag supporting means carried by said crane, mailbag receiving means carried by said crane, a track located adjacent saidmail crane and having an offset portion, and an arm carried by thesupporting member and adapted to engage the track for moving saidsupportin member exteriorly of the car to position tlie mail bagsupporting arms and receiving arms upon the supporting member inalinement with the mail bag supporting and receiving means upon thecrane.

2. An automatic mail bag catcher comprising a track secured to car, asupporting member slidable on said track, a spring connected to saidsupporting member and car for normally holding sald member Within saidcar, a door secured to the outer end of said supporting member, mail bagsupporting arms carried by said supporting member, mail bag receivingarms carried by said supporting member and disposed in an oppositedirection from the mail bag supporting arms, a crane, mail bagsupporting means carried by said crane, mail bag receiving means carriedby said crane,'a track located adjacent said crane and having an oflsetportion intermediate its ends, an arm secured. to said door, and aroller carried by said arm adapted to engage the track for moving thesupporting member exteriorly of the car and passing over the oilisetportion of the track to aline the mail bag supporting and receivingmeans upon the supporting member with the mail bag supporting andreceiving means upon the crane.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH B. MARANOWSKI.

Witnesses:

J OSEPH B. SosNowsKI, FRANK JARANOWSKI.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,D. 0.

